Mohali (Punjab) [India], March 8 (ANI): As India prepares to face New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, Arshdeep Singh’s coach, Jaswant Rai, has expressed strong confidence in Team India’s chances. Highlighting India’s batting depth and spin attack, Rai believes the team has a clear edge over their opponents.
Speaking to ANI, Rai emphasized India’s superior batting lineup and the psychological advantage of having already defeated New Zealand earlier in the tournament.
“We have high expectations from Team India as our batting strength is much more than the opponent. Since we are playing the match with four spinners, it will be very helpful for us. We have already defeated New Zealand in the tournament, so this is also a psychological advantage,” Rai said.
“We have already defeated New Zealand in the tournament, so this is also a psychological advantage,” he added.
He also pointed out the depth in India’s batting order, reinforcing his belief that the Men in Blue will emerge victorious.
“We have a lot of depth in batting… India will definitely win the ICC Champions Trophy,” he noted.
With India eyeing another major ICC title, all eyes will be on how they counter the challenge posed by New Zealand in what promises to be a high-stakes final.
India is undefeated in the tournament so far, and the Kiwis have looked rock solid with bat and ball under Mitchell Santner’s captaincy.
The clash promises to be an epic sequel to the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy final, which New Zealand won. Men in Blue would like to avenge losses to the Blackcaps in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal and 2021 ICC World Test Championship final.
India claimed last week’s contest against the Kiwis by 44 runs, after posting 249 runs from their 50 overs and restricting New Zealand to 205 runs all out in the 46th over. While there’s been a lot of focus on spin bowlers stepping up in the UAE, it was Matt Henry who starred with the ball for the Black Caps, claiming 5/42 off eight overs, in an innings where Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with a 79 off 98 balls.
Kane Williamson fought valiantly for the Kiwis with an 81 (120 balls), but couldn’t find support in the middle order. India’s spinners combined for nine wickets, led by ‘secret weapon’ Varun Chakaravarthy, taking 5/42 – coincidentally the exact figures as Henry for the Kiwis – in what was just the 33-year-old leg-spinner’s second One Day International.
Squads:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand Squad: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke, Daryl Mitchell, Nathan Smith, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy. (ANI)
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